Affleck: A Cosmic Look

The first thing you notice about Affleck’s (that’s Ben Affleck) chart is that he has Venus in Cancer on his ascendant. His wide appeal can be attributed to this charming, likable sign sitting powerfully on the cusp of his astrological First House which rules self-expression. Because it’s in Cancer, there’s likely a disarming tenderness about him when you first meet. Make no mistake: he has the healthy ego drives of his Leo Sun but he “dawns” on us like a sweet and genuine charmer. He just can’t help himself!

His Sun in Leo and Mars in Virgo are both in his 3rd House ruling communication, making the way he uses language and expresses ideas a central focus in his life. It is in this area where he feels he is being most himself – and for a Leo, that is of utmost importance. It is important to Leo’s to make a unique offering of their creativity – to make their mark, which he certainly has by being the youngest screenwriter to win an Oscar for a film in which he also starred, Good Will Hunting. Mars adds passion to his ideas and is trying to teach him to be a forcible and direct communicator. Because Mars can also show us where our fear lie, Ben has to confront insecurity about his right to speak his mind. A healthy expression of Mars energy depends on making a bold choice to just do something in spite of fear one might feel – in his case in the 3rd house territory of expression. For Mars to work for him, he has to risk communicating, even if it is imperfect – which is no small task for this self-critical tendencies of a Virgo Mars.

His Moon (ruling instincts and emotion) is also in Virgo, so being a self-critical striver is just something he’ll have to get used to. He may seem like an easygoing sweetheart on the surface, but this superstar didn’t get there on looks alone. Virgo moons work, and when they’re not working they’re thinking about work or what they could do better. Madonna also is a Leo Sun with a Virgo moon. These combinations really like to go for it, though you may not see them sweat (so unbecoming on a Leo!)

What’s up for him this year? Well a relationship or two are being put through the meat grinder, such is the nature of Pluto transiting the 7th house of partnership. He’s most likely being pressed for his most honest performance in his closest relationships. Someone usually acts as the catalyst for powerful personal transformation when we’re dealing with the 7th house of the “other.” Pluto is not always easy and demands truth. For someone with a Virgo moon and a sweet Venus placement, the last thing they want to do is deal with conflict. However, aside from relationships, Pluto in the 7th house can be a goldmine for an artist. The drama of human relationships is something which he is probably finding fascinating at the moment, if not a bit overwhelming. Perhaps his personal discoveries will come to bear on his next project. It may look easy on film, but what he’s sharing, from an astrological point of view, didn’t come without some sweat.